Anden Wilder was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and was a prolific maker from a young age. She attended the Maryland Institute College of Art and graduated with a degree in painting. With a great love for reading and children’s literature, she went on to receive a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology and Early Childhood Literacy. She is a mentor for aspiring illustrators at SCBWI and is a professor of illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. Anden was chosen as one of the inaugural winners of the SCBWI Bologna Illustrator Scholarship in 2023 and was a finalist for the illustrator’s exhibition in 2024.
Anden is interested in texture, the interactions of color, and gestural line. Her picture book work explores feelings of inadequacy, longing, and the desire to belong that children always feel. She wants to remind readers that, even though our human experiences may look very different on paper, our feelings are often the same. Anden believes that making books for children requires an intense and contemplative study of life, of art, and of childhood.
Anden is represented by Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary.
UPCOMING BOOKS
Scamp, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2/4/25
Tulip’s Mess, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Fall 2025
Elaine, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Fall 2026